National Mental Health Awareness Week took place at All Hallows School during 13-19 May, with many different activities on offer to pupils and staff to boost happiness and a sense of calm. These activities saw pupils and staff taking part in a series of specially tailored events to promote calm, happiness and healthiness.
Each day there was a different activity on offer at the school located at East Cranmore, Shepton Mallet . On Monday there was a Walk & Talk during lunch-break for anyone who wanted to join a gentle stroll in the warm Somerset sunshine and to take time to talk to new friends and old, whilst encouraging staff to step away from their desks and clear their minds. Tuesday Tunes was a sing-a-long initiative where staff and pupils were invited to join in a sing and dance session with uplifting songs such as Happy, Can’t Stop The Feeling and It’s a Wonderful World; everyone left felt feeling very upbeat, ready to face the afternoon.
On Wednesday there was an early morning run before school, promoting a healthy and fit way to start the day and clear your mind. Art with a Heart was another lunch-time session for pupils and staff whereby music was alternated every few minutes reflecting different moods and then conveyed onto paper. The last activity of the week was a Mindful Woodland session in All Hallows’ Forest School. Pupils scampered up to take part in gardening, wood cutting and sorting or simply lying under the trees, soaking up the calming atmosphere of the tree canopies and the wild garlic.
Dr Richards, All Hallows’ Head, gave an assembly on Friday to the whole school explaining the importance of understanding your mental health, sharing when you are struggling and looking out for others who may need your help. “Positive mental health, happiness, confidence and self-esteem are key to living a fulfilled life and underpin great learning,” he explained. “We strive to develop children’s emotional intelligence, encouraging resilience, effective communication skills, empathy, forgiveness and respect for others. We want our children to develop global awareness, social responsibility and to contribute to the communities and environments in which they live, but above all we want them to be happy.”